Maulbronn Monastery was the first, and until the Island of Reichenau was also named in 2000, the only cultural monument in Baden-Württemberg to be placed on the UNESCO-List of World Cultural Heritage. In its winter meeting in December 1993 the World Heritage Committee approved the application for inclusion.The former Cistercian monastery, founded by the Cistercian monks in the middle of the 12th century in the Salzach valley between Bretten in Baden and Mühlacker in Württemberg, is considered the most completely preserved monastery complex of the Middle Ages north of the Alps.
These qualities make Maulbronn Monastery so unique and worthy of the UNESCO's interest:
"The Maulbronn Monastery represents in its entirety a cultural monument of European rank and is of extraordinary universal value. Until today the unity of the complex conveys an almost unadulterated picture of a medieval monastery. The beholder is permitted detailed insights into the character of a monastery organism, a direct contemplation of the monastic spirit and of the special characteristics of the Cistercian reform movement. However, the complex is not only fascinating as a whole, it also shows a number of superb individual architectural achievements in the religious and secular area."